The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-10-13
What is Going on in the State De-
partments.
An Epitome OF What Was
Learned at the Capitol
Yesterday.
From Thursdays Daily. I


tors; j. B. Gilliland, Nike Rogers, U. M.
Carr, E. S. Harper, W. L. Schafer, j. H.
Taylor, J.W. Mccain, jr,, S. B. Ford, BIC.
Barrett. and ]. G. Wilson.
Hood county redeemed $500 of its
bonds to the state.
The comptroller to day registered
$4,000 Waco city bonds for the con-
struction of city hail.
Governor Ross and Com ptroller Nc
Call returned last evening from their trip
to Corsicana.
The capitol contractor commenced yes :
terday placing the iron castings, fur
nished from the Rusk penitentiary,
around the brick work of the dome. There
are now 400 men at work On the build
ing.
The state treasury has already regis
tered $240,000 state warrants drawn
against the new school apportionment
There a-e about $4,000 in warrants yet
to be paid out by the former apportion-
ment.
About sixty county judges have, so far,
failed to furnish their annual school re-
ports TO the state superintendent. There
are also due about fifty reports from
county treasurers, thirty from city treas
urers and fifty from city school super
| intendents.
From Fridays Daily.l
Comptroller's deposits yesterday
amounted to about $4,000.
Chartered: The Alliance Co operative
ASSOCIATION, of Huntsville. Capital, $780,
600.
Comptroller Mccall writes as follows to
a citizen of one of the western counties,
who asks for information:
Dear Sir-YOur favor has been received,
and, in reply thereto, have to say that
the action of the commissioners court,
sitting as a board of equalization and
placing valuation of 81 per acre on
school lands, on the theory as stated by
you, that such lands are taxable only &C
cording to the interest therein by the
holders thereof" which other
lands, of the very same char
acter and lying side by side with the
school lands, are assessed at so and $3.50
per acre, is i'll direct conflict with the in
structions given by this department to
assessors, such instructions being based
upon the following law.
Article 1851, Revised Statutes, provides
as follows: property held under lease
for term Of three years or more, or held
under contract for the purchase Thereof,
ETC., etc., shall be considered, for all pur-
poses of taxation, as the property of the
person holding the same, exospt as other
wise specially provided by law"
The clause Except as otherwise
specially provided by law" could not pos
sibly be construed as referring to school
lands, else there would have been
enacted some special provision
of law to that effect SAID
clause refers notably to the
lands granted to the International
d Great Northern Railroad company,
there being special laws exempting such
lands from taxation for period of
twenty-five years. The instructions given
by this department to assessors is in &C
cordance with these views, and such Off
GERS have strictly observed such instruc-
tioLs. By virtue of said article 1891, all
lands that are held under a contract for
purchase, without any regard whatever to
the amount of purchase money that has
been paid, or the amount of purchase
money that may remain due and unpaid,
are required to be assessed to the person
|
ton thereof, just as if the title in fee
simple was vested In such person to such
lands. The fact that purchaser of school
lands has only paid one-twentieth
or less of the purchase money, entities
him to no exemption from having the
lands assessed to him at the full value
thereof, just the same as if he hal paid
every dollar of the purchase money.
am, very respectfully,
john d. MCCALL,
Comptroller.
The work of placing the Rusk peniten-
tiary castings around the brick work of
the capitol dome has been com pleted, ex-
tending up to the fourth section of the
structure where the imported wrought
iron work begins, which latter work will
be commenced at once. Thus section by
section, and quite rapidly, the great
structure nears ompletion.
The state superintendent of education
rules that cities and towns which have
assumed control of their public schools
are not independent of the general school
law, except insofar as they are separate
school districts, they may provide by
ordinance for the organization of schools
| and the appropriation Of the school fund
in such manner as may be best suited to
the population. Article 1888 of the civil
! code subjects such cities and towns to the
general laws, as far as the same nv be
applicable. The decision concerning the
applicability of the general law to such
city or town rests, on appeal, with the
state superintendent, and, on appeal from
him, with the board of education.
From Saturdays Daily
Chartered: The German Evangelical
Lutheran church, of Hill county.
The governor yesterday Issued a COM
mission to Z. I. Mercer, as pilot at Arap.
sas Pass.
W. r. Spencer, county attorney of Run
nels county. telegraphed the governor
yesterday to know whether reward had
been offered by the state for the appre-
hension of the stage robber who has been
ope ratiDg between San Angelo and BALM.
ger. Mr.. spencer will find something like
a chill running down his back when he
gets the governors answer. The execu-
tive, in his hOmely way, asks what have
the county authorities done so far TO effect
the arrest of the robber, and follows
this by suggesting that the law of the
state does not imply that officers should
wait for rewards to be offered before do
ing their duty. With grim piece of
humor he adds, that he understands that
the United States government has a
standing reward of 5000 for the arrest
/ q nd ion, .f